Credit card reversals no longer done? [ABSA/VISA]

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Expert Member

I recently renewed my subscription to a daily newspaper and specifically asked them to place me on monthly deductions from my credit card.
They ignored my request and deducted a once off annual payment (which oddly enough is more than 12 monthly payments)

I have requested numerous times that they reverse the deduction, to no avail.

I then contacted my bank (ABSA VISA platinum card) and asked them to reverse the transaction.

ABSA says they can't do it :wtf: and quoted the below:

"As your credit card is only a medium of payment, we are not authorised to cancel any transaction on your behalf.
Please refer to the Conditions of Use for your credit card, which reads as follows:
The bank shall not be liable for any goods or services purchased by the cardholder with the card and no claim, counter claim or set-off may be instituted or enforced against the bank in this regard.
No dispute of whatever nature between a cardholder and a supplier shall exempt the cardholder from his liability to the bank in respect of the payment and the cardholder shall not be entitled to instruct the bank to return payment to a supplier as referred to in clause 9.2.3 or to do a charge back of a payment that has already been made.
We advise you to address the matter directly with the merchant concerned, in order to obtain a credit voucher."

How does one resolve this?
I was always under the impression that CC transactions could be reversed by the bank if the dealer was at fault?

Honorary Master

Reply to ABSA, that unless they do the reversal you are requesting (due to an incorrect deduction being implemented by the supplier) you will report them to VISA/Mastercard for breaching the terms of their agreement.

Expert Member

I just can't believe that they can say they take no responsibility - surely they are the ones who gave the vendor access to the system and the vendor has to follow their rules, such as charging the customer the agreed amount?

It's not really a major issue for me, but I feel like causing some kark

Honorary Master

I just can't believe that they can say they take no responsibility - surely they are the ones who gave the vendor access to the system and the vendor has to follow their rules, such as charging the customer the agreed amount?

It's not really a major issue for me, but I feel like causing some kark

Honorary Master

Wow. Visas response on facebook is quite shocking. I have had many a debit order reversed by simply sending Standard Bank a message on the internet banking site. They call a day or so later to confirm, and that's it. Have never disputed a CC purchase before. Then again, I never used my CC that often and recently cancelled it due to Standard Bank wanting to start charging me a card fee which they never did before.

Don't see how a debit order is different from a CC dispute. You agreed to an amount. Agreement not honoured. So they basically stole from you. So therefore transaction reversed. What am I missing?

Expert Member

They closed my 3 year old daughter's bank account because she failed to provide proof of residency! (This is after we had been to the bank 3 times already to give them requested paperwork)
They posted a cheque for the ammount in the account to a wrong address + refused to issue a new cheque until the other cheque had been cancelled.